Chinese-American Workers: Past & Present - Present Workers' Conditions

Section 2: Present Workers' Conditions

Today, like immigrants of other nationalities, many Chinese people continue to leave Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other parts of the world to come to the U.S. in search of a better life. Yet once they arrive, racial and language barriers force thousands of Chinese to seek work in restaurants, garment factories, and other service industries in and around the overcrowded Chinese communities. They must endure long hours, low wages, and very poor working conditions, without even the minimal protection that unionization could provide. Other Chinese men and women are trying to find work outside of Chinatown's limited job market. A few are becoming professionals, but the majority are finding only low-paid, tedious jobs in American corporations, factories, institutions, and government agencies. Similar to many other non-white workers, they face discrimination and closed doors to better paying jobs. They continue to be used as a surplus labor pool for the American economy, and are, therefore, constantly threatened with unemployment. The Chinese workers' living conditions also reflect their economic position in American Society in the kind of health care, housing, education, and recreation available to them. The articles in this section were selected to present a diverse picture of some of the experiences and viewpoints of Chinese workers today with a special emphasis on Chinese immigrant workers. Each of the articles tries to analyze the problems facing Chinese workers, and each concludes with a call for unity and strength to overcome their oppressive conditions.